Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 59287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
“Actually, there’s one person who might.”
“Who?”
I didn’t answer that.
“I need you to do me a favor,” I said instead.
“Anything.”
“Go down to the admin office and ask them to send me the personal addresses of every person who had a bench warrant this month.”
“All of them?” he asked. “Is there someone you’re looking for in particular?”
Clearly. “No, it’s nothing personal. Just make sure they send me all of them.”
“Will do.” He nodded. “By the way, I would start watching your back whenever you’re not on courthouse grounds, especially over the next few weeks.”
“Why’s that?”
“You haven’t heard the news this morning?” He arched an eyebrow.
“Did someone vandalize my other car?”
“The Supreme Court just overturned your ruling on the Grant Jenkins case and ordered a new trial,” he said. “They also let him out of prison to prepare for it…”
“This better be a late April Fool’s joke, George.”
“I never joke about cases with you, Liam…” He pulled a sheet from his folder and handed it to me.
There it was in black and white.
The front page of The New York Times greeted me with a picture of a man I fucking despised walking out of prison under an umbrella and an ugly gray headline.
‘What if The Verdict Was Wrong?’
My pulse spiked as I read the article, and every word made me breathe a little slower.
I still remembered every aspect of this asshole’s case, every single second he sat in my presence, and the very moment I brought down my gavel to put him away.
The media hounded me relentlessly for months—accusing me of being “too harsh,” and “utterly unfair.” The Innocence Project started a campaign to get me thrown off the bench, and to this day, the local reporters called any harsh sentence—from any judge—“The Judge Ashton special.”
“This article isn’t written like a grocery list,” I turned over the sheet. “It doesn’t even mention why it was overturned…”
“Jury misbehavior, apparently.” He handed me another sheet. “Two of the jurors received a fifty-thousand bribe for a guilty verdict, apparently.”
It was seventy-five thousand dollars…
“It was nothing you did, of course.” He shrugged. “I just thought you should know.”
“I see.” I swallowed. “Thank you for telling me.”
“I’m sure he’ll be found guilty all over again,” he said. “You ran a tight trial and were more than fair to him.”
I wasn’t—at all, but no one ever needed to know that.
And they definitely didn’t need to know why…
“You want to join me and Mara for dinner this evening?” I changed the subject. “My treat.”
“Depends on what you’re ordering.”
“I’ll let you pick.”
“In that case—I want steak from that five-hundred dollar place on Broadway. With the truffle mashed potatoes, the chef’s special arugula, and a glass of wine since I’ll technically be off the clock.”
“You’re pushing it…”
“Only because you offered it.” He smiled. “Is that a no?”
“I’ll have it delivered here after the final arraignments.”
“Looking forward to it.” He winked and left the room.
I picked up the article once more, slowly reading over the second part as the walls closed in on me.
Every sentence was a potential warning—a foreshadowing of what could possibly come if anyone discovered just how far I went to send this man to prison.
Then again…I could make moves now to make sure that never happened.
I picked up my phone and immediately called Mara.
“I’m running late,” she answered on the first ring. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be right there with your first set of arraignments.”
“This isn’t about that,” I said. “Where are we on hiring my new law clerks?”
“There are fifteen decent options so far. They’re giving me three weeks to conduct the final round of interviews.”
“Get it done in two weeks,” I said. “And hire six of them. I need all the help I can get…”
TRANSFER (N.):
ANY VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY ACT THAT DISPOSES OF OR PARTS WITH AN ASSET, PROPERTY, OR LEGAL RIGHT. IT ENCOMPASSES ALL METHODS OF CONVEYING TITLE OR INTEREST, SUCH AS SALES, GIFTS, LEASES, OR THE CREATION OF LIENS.
OLIVIA
Two Weeks Later
“Thank you for choosing Happy Burger!” I held out a bag with my biggest fake smile at the drive-thru window. “Enjoy the light in every bite!”
“Ugh, finally.” The customer snatched her food from me. “You guys shouldn’t call yourself ‘fast food’ anymore. I’ve been waiting for three effin’ minutes.”
“Oh, the horror…” I muttered.
“I don’t see my special smiley cake in here.” She looked at me. “Where the hell is it?”
“You didn’t order a smiley cake.” I glanced at her order onscreen. “Would you like to order one now?”
“I’m a freakin’ golden kingdom member!” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m supposed to get a free one with every order.”
“Ma’am, nothing here is free.” I tried to hold my smile like they’d taught me this week. “We don’t have a loyalty program anymore.”
“Well, you used to!” She scoffed. “And I was a top customer for years, so give me my smiley cake. Now.”